Anthropological Methodologies: Chinese Perspectives

This book addresses the pressing challenges of the twenty-first century--an era marked by crises and uncertainty--by advocating for anthropology’s vital role in fostering compassionate intercultural dialogue and promoting harmonious coexistence between humanity and the non-human world. Through a collection of thought-provoking essays, it explores how non-Western perspectives, particularly Chinese methodologies, can enrich anthropological practice and help transcend the limitations imposed by Western-centric paradigms. Rather than replacing one form of ethnocentrism with another, the book calls for a more balanced and inclusive conversation across cultures.

Within this framework, anthropology is reimagined not merely as the interpretation or writing of culture, but as an active process of cultural communication, negotiation, and reconciliation. True intercultural understanding, the book argues, can only be achieved when diverse cultural subjects engage in dialogue on equal footing--making the ＂doing＂ of anthropology a collaborative and transformative endeavor.

Tan Tongxue is Professor of ethnology and sociology at Yunnan University. His previous books include Two-Dimensional People: Lives, Desires, and Social Attitudes in a Changing Chinese Village (London: Routledge, 2023) and Monetary Pride and Social Prejudice: A Study of Social Development and Community Mutual Aid in Contemporary Rural China (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2013). His research interests include studies of anthropological methodology, peasant economies, village morality, grassroots politics, and social consciousness.